Composite chair



F. HIRSCH COMPOSITE CHAIR Nov. 23, 1948.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 12, 1945 INVENTOR. Bede/1c I-[z'nsch F. HIRSCH COMPOSITE CHAIR Nov. 23, 1948.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 12, 1945 I ,INVENTORQ tderz'c Hirsch his AGENT Patented Nov. 23, 1948 a n tiire company,

all York, scen s, by ,Iits, toAfsftraB'eht Wood Furni- New York, N. Y., a partnership Application February 12, 1'945,-SerialNo; 577,532

This invention relates tocomposite chairs, and relates more particularly to chairs madev of two or more members that may easily be assembled, and taken apart.

One of the principal objects of the invention isv to provide a chair that is light in Weight and rigidly constructed and, when taken apart, may be compactly stored and shipped. v

Another object is to provide such a chair that may be held together by screws without the same being visible from the outside. I

Another object is to provide such a chair that will have great stability. I, c

A further object is to provide such a chair which can be taken apart by the removal of a few screws. v g A further object is to provide such a chair that is made of aluminum tubing or the like; which combines rigidity with a degree of elasticity necessary for a comfortable seat. U a

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following specification and in part will be obvious therefrom without being specifically referred to, the

same being realized and attained as pointed out in the claims hereof.

Heretofore, chairs of metal tubing have been used, as well as composite chairs. The tubing chairs have mostly been made of an S shaped construction which provided a very resilient structure Without, however, giving great rigidity.

These chairs also have used up a large amount of space for storing and shipping.

Composite chairs as known to the prior art very often are complicated to assemble, and also may lacka rigidity as absbliitelyrequired for office chairs or the like. Furthermore, in many cases, these composite chairs do notprovide large "enough a base necessary for great stability; and an unstable chair does not only cause discomfort, but might involve accidents.

v The present invention intends to overcomesuch shortcomings and provides a composite chair made of metal tubing having a large base and stability, and due to its construction, combines rigidity with a certain degree of elasticity. When the chair is assembled it can take as'r'n'uch punishment as a non-composite chair, yet can be taken apart in afew seconds time. From the appearance of the assembled chair it c'annotbe discovered that it may easily be taken apart.

With the above andother'objects of the invention in View, the invention consists in the novel "construction, arrangement and combination of various devices, elements and parts, as set forth in the claims hereof, certain embodiments of the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the specification.

in the accompanying drawings,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a composite chair incorporating my invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a chair similar to the one shown in Fig. 1; c

3 is a sectional view of Fig. 1;

4;- is a cross section taken along line 44 of Eig, 3; L

Fig; 5 is a cross section taken along line 55 of Figtfl and l lig. 6 is an elevational view showing the parts of several chairs taken apart, in man-omman' position for shipping.

In carrying the invention into effect in the embodiments which I have selected for illustration in the accompanying drawings and for description in this specification, I provide:

A. pair of substantially symmetrical side pieces I 5 and It, each thereof formed of a single piece of bent aluminum tubing or other suitable tubing material. The side piece H is shaped to provide an end portion forming a leg I 3, a substantially horizontal portion 16, and a back portion ES, to which correspond an end portion forming a leg 54, a horizontal portion ll which is substantially perpendicular to the leg I t, and a back portion [B -of theslde piece 42. Each portion of said side piece I2 is parallel to the corresponding portion of the side piece II.

A seat 21 made of wood, '01" textile, or other suitable rigid or pliable material is fastened to the horizontal portions 46 l? which. act as seat supports, by means of flat head steel screws 22 uwhich are countersunk into the material of said seat.

A back 23, made of wood oroth'er suitable rigid or :pliable material, is-secured near the upper end to the back portions t8 and H], of each of said vside pieces H and I2, by means of fiat head steel screws which arecoiintersunk into the material of said back 23.

A connecting piece 24, made of a single piece of bentaluminum tubing or other tubing material, is formed to 'providea pair of legs 25 and 27, respectively, "a pair of parallel portions 28 and 29, perpendicular to the legs :26 and 21, respectively, and a connecting portion -31 between said parallel portions -28-and 29and integral therewith.

-Saidoonr-rectinglpiece or member =24-is detachabl'y securedto the underside of each of said side pieces *l and, L2, "as shown in Eig. 1, by fastening the outside of the intersecting L-shaped bend between the leg 26 and the parallel portion 28 of the member 24 to the underside of the horizontal portion l6 at a point thereof near the back portion ill of said side piece ll; similarly, the other parallel portion 29 is fastened to the underside of the horizontal portion I! of said side piece I2 by means of one of the countersunk screws 22 which at the same time secures the seat 2! to its place.

As shown in Fig. 4, the screw 22 reaches throng the seat 2| and the horizontal portion l'l into the parallel portion 29 which carries a thread for engaging said screw 22. The member 24 is so secured to the side pieces II and I2 that each parallel portion 28 and 29, respectively, forms a small angle with the horizontal portions [6 and I! of said side pieces. Consequently, the legs 26. and 21 of said member 24 form the same small angle with a vertical line and, therefore, with the legs l3 and M of said side pieces II and I2. This position of the member with relation to the rest of the chair structure provides a large base for the chair, which assures great stability.

The connecting portion 3| of said connecting piece or member 24 is secured to the vertical legs I3 and 14 of said side pieces at the L-shaped bends intersecting said connecting portion 3| with the parallel portions 28 and 29, respectively. As shown in Fig. 5, the L-shaped bend of the tubing has a hole 32 on the inner wall, suf iciently large to allow the head of a screw 33 to pass, and has a hole 34 coaxial therewith through which the screw 33 protrudes to engage a thread provided in the leg M. A similar manner of fastening is provided in connection with the leg [3 of the side piece II. The screws 33 are completely hidden from the outside, and at the same time, can easily be removed by inserting a screw driver through the holes 32 to loosen the screws 33.

The seat, which at its rear end is connected to the horizontal portions 16 and H by means of the screws 22 (see Fig. 4), is connected at its forward end to the same horizontal portions by means of additional fiat head screws.

Another modification of the present invention is shown in Fig. 2, in which the entire chair structure is provided by two members 24 and 36, respectively. The lower member 24 is substantially like the one shown in Fig. 1. The upper member 36 has two side pieces 31 and 38, conforming to the side pieces H and I2 of Fig. 1, which are, however, integrally connected to each other, thereby providing a back 39. A back cover made of wood or other material may be secured thereto if desired, but the same is not shown in the drawings, as the chair may be used without such cover. In all other respects, this modification has the same structure as the chair shown in Fig. 1 and described herein above.

The type of composite chairs described herein has a great rigidity, yet, especially when the seat 2! is made of pliable material, a certain degree of elasticity is provided. The seat 2| may be pliable as it performs no structural function. The connection between the side pieces of either type chair (Fig. 1 or Fig. 2) is provided by the connecting piece or member 24.

When the chair is taken apart, the pieces thereof may be laid man-n-man because the connecting piece 24 as well as the side pieces or the member 36, are rectangularly shaped. A considerable saving of space results when the structural parts are placed "man-on-man as shown in Fig. 6, which savingof space isparticularly useful and advantageous for storing and shipping.

I do not limit myself to the particular details of construction set forth in the foregoing specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as the same refer to and set forth only certain embodiments of the invention and it is obvious that the same may be modified, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. A composite chair, comprising in combination: a member which comprises two seat supporting portions substantially parallel and spaced from each other for a distance and horizontally disposed for providing a seat support, two front legs integrally connected to an end of said seat supporting portions and at right angle therewith,

two back portions integrally connected to the other end of said seat supporting portions and at right angle therewith and arranged in an upward direction therefrom, and a back connected to said back portions and extending therebetween; a second member which comprises two portions substantially parallel and spaced from each other for the same distance as said seat supporting portions of said first member and each disposed below a seat supporting portion of said first member and detachably connected with relation to the underside thereof and forming a small angle therewith, two rear legs integrally connected to an end of said two portions and at right angle therewith, and a connecting portion integrally extending between said two portions and connecting the other ends thereof and horizontally disposed below said two seat supporting portions of said first member and spaced therefrom and adjacent said front legs of said first member and detachably connected with relation thereto; and a seat secured to the upper side of said seat supporting portions of said first member.

2. A composite chair, comprising in combination: a member which comprises two seat supporting portions substantially parallel and spaced from each other for a distance and horizontally disposed for providing a seat support, two front legs integrally connected to an end of said seat supporting portions and at right angle therewith, two back portions integrally connected to the other end of said seat supporting portions and at right angle therewith and arranged inan upward direction therefrom, and an integral back extending between said back portions; a second member which comprises two portions substantially parallel and spaced from each other for the same distance as said seat supporting portions of said first member and each disposed below a seat supporting portion of said first member and detachably connected with relation to the underside thereof and forming a small angle therewith, two rear legs integrally connected to an end of said two portions and at right angle therewith, and a connecting portion integrally extending between said two portions and connecting the other ends thereof and horizontally disposed below said two seat supporting portions of said first member and spaced therefrom and adjacent said front legs of said first member and detachably connected with relation thereto; and a seat secured to the upper side of said seat supporting portions of said first member.

3."In a composite chair, two members made substantially horizontal portions and two verti cal portions at one end thereof for providing a seat support and two front legs respectively, the integral connection extending upright between the other ends of said horizontal portions for providing a back, the side pieces of said other mem-QQ ber composed of two inclined portions each arranged below a horizontal portion of said first? member and detachably connected to the underside thereof and forming a small angle therewith, and two portions perpendicular thereto at one end thereof for providing two rear legs, 'the integral connection extending between the other ends of said inclined portions of said second member and substantially horizontally disposed below said two horizontal portions of said first member and adjacent said two vertical portions of said first member and detachably connected with relation thereto.

4. A composite chair, comprising in combination: a member which comprises two straight seat supporting portions substantially parallel and spaced from each other for a distance and horizontally disposed for providing a seat support, two front legs integrally connected to an end of said seat supporting portions and at right angle therewith, and an are shaped back having two opposite ends which are integrally connected to the other end of said seat supporting portions and at right angle therewith and arranged in an upward direction therefrom; a second member which comprises two straight portions substantially parallel and spaced from each other for the same distance as said seat supporting portions of said first member and each disposed below a seat supporting portion of said first member and detachably connected to the underside.

thereof and forming a small angle therewith, two rear legs integrally connected to an end of said two straight portions and at right angle therewith, and a straight connecting portion integrally extending between said two straight portions and connecting the other ends thereof and horizontally disposed below said two seat supporting portions of said first member and spaced therefrom and adjacent the rear of said front legs of said firstv member and detachably connected with relation thereto; and a seat secured to the upper side'of said seat supporting portions of said first member.

5. In a composite chair, a substantially vertically disposed are shaped connecting portion adapted to provide a back, and having two downward pointing opposite ends which are first turned horizontal in substantially parallel relation and spaced for a certain distance arranged to form a seat support and thence turned downwardly for forming front legs, and a connecting portion substantially horizontally disposed below said seat supporting portions and spaced therefrom and adjacent said front legs and detachablysecured with relation thereto and having two opposite ends which are first turned perpendicular to said connecting portion and substantially parallel and spaced from each other for a distance equal to said first certain distance and which are disposed below said seat supporting portions and detachably connected to the underside thereof and inclined upwardly for forming a small angle therewith, said ends thence turned downwardly for forming rear legs.

FREDERIC HIRSCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 95,745 Hoffmann May 28, 1935 98,440 Smith Dec. 28, 1869 1,702,280 Stafford Feb. 19, 1929 2,125,985 Bond Aug. 9, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 685 Austria July 1, 1899 170,019 Switzerland Nov. 1, 1934 714,178 France Aug. 31, 1931 782,936 France Mar. 25, 1935 

